Just the way things are
by Lil Lupin
Summary: Ron's perspective of his life and how he's always overshadowed by other people. Set after GOF


Disclaimer: I don't own any of this; probably not even the plot. It all belongs to JKR's wonderful imagination.  
  
A/N: This isn't very long. It's just about Ron's confusion about the future. Set after GOF. Please Review!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ron had never known what it had been to live in fear. To know that going out could cost you your life, but that staying in your own home could do the same. To live knowing that friends of your parents had been killed, and that your parents, or even you, could be next. He knew now.  
  
Knew that he could come downstairs one morning to be told that someone he knew had been killed. Dad, Mum, Percy, Ginny, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill - it could be any one of them. Or it could be someone from school; Hermione (Ron didn't quite know why, but her name always popped up in his head first), Neville, Dean, Seamus, or Harry.  
  
Harry. Ron knew what Harry had seen. Or what he claimed to have seen. Dumbledore had believed Harry. Sirius had believed Harry. Heck, even Ron's own family had believed Harry. But Ron hadn't.  
  
Ron had seen it to be a ploy of Harry's to get more attention - to have everyone talking about him again. Harry was famous, smart and brave (Ron could go on, but it made him feel sick). Ron was just the pratty sidekick, who half of the time was arguing with Harry, and spent the other half of the time arguing with Hermione.  
  
Harry didn't have a family to compete with. Ron did. Bill had been Head Boy. Charlie had been Quidditch Captain. (Quidditch was another thing Harry was better at.) Percy had been another Head Boy. Fred and George were inventors - they had their careers all planned out. Ginny was sweet and kind, and always knew what to say at the right time. Ron was just the 'odd one'. He wasn't anything, save for Harry Potter's best friend.  
  
Ron hadn't known the whole story of what had happened on June 24th, but he'd known that Harry was suddenly getting an awful lot more attention for it. It had only been on the Hogwarts Express that Harry had told him. Told him what he'd seen. Told him what had happened. There had been a dead, haunted look in Harry's eyes. It was only then that Ron had known that Harry was speaking the truth; that Voldemort really had killed Cedric Diggory, and almost killed Harry. But, thank Merlin, Voldemort hadn't succeeded with the latter. Much as Ron envied Harry, he wasn't sure what he'd do if Harry had been murdered. Probably have killed himself.  
  
Ron hardly ever went out now. His mother kept telling him not to mope, and that Harry was probably taking it better than he was. Ron seriously doubted this; Harry had seemed to be pretty down at the end of the school year. But Ron wanted to stay in the house in case anything happened. In case Death Eaters came to find them. He wanted to be there to fight, and to be brave, just like Harry always was.  
  
He knew that he was being a bit of a prat; Harry had never chosen to be brave - he just was. And Harry was in far worse danger than any of the Weasleys were, but Ron hadn't even written to him yet to check that he was holding up okay. Even Ron's dad had admitted a few days before that one wrong move on anyone's part could result in Harry's death. Death. It was such a strong and frightening word.  
  
But Harry wouldn't die, Ron told himself fiercely. Not this summer, not ever. Ron looked around his room. A letter from Harry from a few days ago lay on the desk. It said basically that Harry was having a lousy summer, and he couldn't wait until the start of term. Ron hadn't replied yet. But he would now, he decided. Maybe it would cheer him up, not to mention Harry.  
  
Harry -  
  
It's me. Hope you're doing okay, and the muggles aren't starving you again! If they are, tell me, and I'll organise Fred and George to send your cousin a little 'present'. (Either a dung bomb, or a load of their inventions).  
  
Have you heard from Snuffles? Is he alright? Hermione says she's been owling Lupin to ask what's going on, because the Daily Prophet's not printing anything useful. Ask her to send you the news.  
  
What d'you mean - you've already done most of the homework? I'm not going to bother - I'll just steal Hermione's homework and copy it! Are you ill? Nobody (except Hermione) does their homework that early!  
  
- Ron  
  
Ron let Pig take the letter and fly off with it. It was almost dinnertime; he could smell his mother's cooking. Maybe Fred and George would try and slip something in it to lighten his mood.  
  
Ron knew that he should carry on as normal, as though nothing had happened. His father was always telling him that. Well, from now on, he would. He would act as though he didn't have a care in the world. It would make him feel better. In fact, it already had. He could feel all the weight slip away from his shoulder, as though someone else had taken it on them themselves.  
  
"Ron! Dinner's ready!" Molly Weasley's voice drifted up the stairs, sounding tired.  
  
"Coming Mum!"  
  
Ron took one last look in the mirror. A tall, red-haired boy grinned back at him; a boy who didn't care about anything except girls, homework and detention. This was the boy that Ron wanted to become. That he already was. That he wanted to stay.  
  
He wasn't anyone's shadow. He wasn't a sidekick, or just the side serving. Sure, he wasn't Head Boy, he wasn't on the Quidditch team, he couldn't invent things, and he wasn't brave or smart. But he was Ronald Weasley. And he liked things just the way they were.  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading! I don't think it's very good, but please review! Flames are welcome! 


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